Flooring construction



April 14, 1931. J. E. LARKINS FLOQRING CONSTRUCTION Filed` Nov. 24, 1930 Patented Apr. 14, 1931v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH E. LARKJIN'S, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO PLYWOOD PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY FLOORING CONSTRUCTION Application led November 24, 1930. Serial No. 497,864.

The invention relates to flooring construction and has for its objects to rovide material improvements in rein orcing the aligned fioor blocks or boards against warping and expansion, as well as other distortion commonly encountered which otherwise results in unevenness and imperfection in the flooring.

An important objectof the invention is to provide reinforcement for the flooring which is designed to prevent warping and ex ansion and conse uent unevenness in the ooring along the Joint or meetin lines of the floor parts or blocks. The floorlng blocks or parts are usually constructed with a tongue and groove connection so that the parts may be nested closely together and maintained in relation to one another. Due to variations in temperature and atmospheric influences, as well as other causes, the boards tend to shrink Vor expand and become 'separated from`one another in horizontal as well as vertical planes. Such warping or distortion is usuall manifest at the meeting lines of the boards, there being least resistance at these points due to the tongue and groove construction. The present invention adequately reinforces the tongue and groove connection between the boards, as well as the remaining portions of the floor elements so as`to eifectually resist any atmospheric or other influences having a tendency to expand, shrink or warp vthe flooring.

The invention is equally applicable and advantageous when used in solid plankiioorings, and integral as well as composite blocks for use in laym parquet or mosaic flooring.

With such'ob]ects in view, as.well.as other advantages which Amay be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts' and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that theseveral necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawingsmeans for carrying the same into practical effect, Without limiting the improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the said drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a section of parquet flooring constructed in accordance with the invention( Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the bottom or lower side of the laid Hooring blocks.

Fig. is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. i I FFig. 4 is a similar view on line 4 4 of Fig. 5 is an enlar ed bottom plan view of one of the flooring locks illustrated in the preceding vfigures.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same looking from the bottom as viewed in Fig. 5, it being understood that the block is shown in inverted position to better illustrate the invention. Y

Fig. 7 is a similar view looking from the upper side of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a section online 8 8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a similar view on line 9 9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of block constructed in accordance with the invention and looking at the bottom side thereof.

Fig. 11 is a section on line V11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a similar View on line 12 12 of Fig. 10.

ig. 13 is a perspective view of a section of solid plank flooring constructed in accordance with the inventlon and looking at the bottom side thereof to more clearly illustrate lthe improvements. v

' Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the planks illustrated in Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a still further enlarged sectional view on line 15 15 of Fig. 14.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the floorin blocks which are constructed of various kinds of wood, preferably hard woods such as white oak or walnut, which are well known and suited for the purpose. Each block is or may be formed of one solid piece of lumber and is provided on two adjacent edges' with an integrally formed tongue 2 and on the remaining two adjacent edges with a groove 3. The tongue and groove construction is to ermit the flooring blocks to be closely assem led and interlocked with one another to `providev a smooth unitary flooring.

Each flooring block 1 is furtherprovided, preferably on the under side thereof, kwith one or more recesses 4 which extend entirely across the block from one vertical edge` to Xthe other. In the preferred form of the invention,- and as illustrated, tworecesses 4 are provided in each block, said recesses being preferably of dove-tail configuration. The described recesses 4 extend in depth from the lower side ,of the block to la point lsubstantially midway of its vertical dimension or thickness, whichis substantially midway of the thickness of the tongue member 2 and groove 3 respectively located at the opposite extremities of the said recesses. The grooves are preferably substantially parallel to one another and are disposed adjacent the opposite edges of the block. The recesses 4 :are further preferably formed in the ,block across the grain of the latter or substantially at right angles thereto, as illustrated inFigs. 2 and.

The grooves are desi ned to receive therein correspondingly shape closely fitting splines or keys 5 preferably of hard wood, or the splines may be formed of a wood corresponding to the material of which the block is convconstitutes a. part of the ton structed. The splines 5 are preferably glued lin position to guard against endwise displacement and are otherwise locked in position by the dovetail configuration of the recess 4. The spline members 5 are preferably of a thickness or depth somewhat less than the.

recess 4 (Figs. 6 and 8) to insure against any resulting unevenness in laying or applying the flooring. I

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 5 the grain of the splines 5 lies substantially at right anglesv the splineshave been inserted and secured in Aet place, so-that the opposite ends of the spline will be shaped ,and cut-away to conform tothe y. configuration ofA the'tongue 2 and groove 3 respectively of the block. By this configuration it will be evident that the tongue andy 'grooves' aswell as the laid flooring blocks are strongly reinforced by the splines against any war ing or shr' g tendencies, not only wit in the area of the blocks pro er, but also at their meetingjunctures. t isat the meeting or uniting lines of. adjacent blocks that the warping or expansion is most likely to occur and is manifest by a slight depression or elevation of Aone block relatlveto the other, as frequently results from the usual non-reinforced tongue and groove construction; This area of the block, by reason of the reduced dimensions, offers least resistanceto such warping stresses. By extend- 'Y ing the'splines 5 horizontally and vertically -into the'tongue and groove respectively of each block to constitute integral `parts of the same, and shaping the ends of the splines to conform to the configuration of said ton ue and groove, materially aids in strengthemng these parts to eifectually resist any warping or expanding movements of the flooring along the meeting edges or lines of the adjacent blocks. `The body portion of the spline adequately strengthens and ,reinforces the remaining area of the-block as will be obvious.-

As best seen in Fig. 2 the construction of the tongue and groove elements 2 and 3 of the blocks permits the same to bev laid alternately, that is with the grain of each block runningat substantially right angles to the grain of the adjacent block. Similarly the disposition and grain ofthe splines 5 of' the laid'blocks are at right angles to one j' another in Aadjoining blocks, thereby serving to materially and most eifectually reinforce the tongue and groove connections at the meeting or interlocked edges of the blocks at all'pointsl of the flooring.

When the vblocks are constructed in accordance with the invention and a flooring laid as above described, the latter will be strongly reinforced to resist atmospheric changes which would` otherwise result in warping, as well as. any tendency of the blocks to expand or shrink.

Referring vto Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, the flooring block is illustrated as consisting of a plurality of cabinet jointed pieces or boards 8 which are fabricated tov form a unitary block. Such fabricated block 1a is provided, asin the instance of theinteg'ral block, with tongues 2a on adj acentedges and corresponding grooves 3a along the remaining adjacent edges. The splines 5a are inserted and glued within the recess 4a extending for the full width of the fabricated block. As in the in- 1 stance of the unitary block the splines 5a extend into and form a part of the grooveat one side or edge of the block as indicated at 9 and in a similar manner extend into and I are shapedto form a part of the tongue 2a at the opposite side ofthe block, as indicated at 10. In this manner parquet flooring blocks may be'constructed of a plurality of Darts or members 8 which are cabinet jointed and securely locked together by the splines 5a which latter contribute to the secure reinforcement of the block against warping and atmospheric changes in the same manner and for the reasons above described. As in the instance of the integrally formed block, the grain of the fabricated blocks 10 is of preference disposed at right angles tothe grain of the keys or splines 5a. This is to bring about added reinforcement for the reasons hereinbefore pointed out.

Referring to Figs. 13 to 15, there is illustrated a section of solid plank flooring which may be constructed of the usual solid board planks 1b of various or random lengths and widths, and which have the usual tongue and groove connection 2b, 3b respectively, therebetween. It is common with such type 0f floors to employ planks of 10 to 12 feet long, and in the instance of the present invention each plank is provided along its length with a plurality of splines 5b which maybe spaced approximately ten inches apart along the longitudinal dimension of the plank; said 'splines being disposed in staggered'relation' as illustrated, if desired. The splines 5b are individual to the respective planks 1b, and as best seen in Figs. 15. extend vertically for substantially half the thickness of the plank. As in the instance of the described blocks. the splines are inserted in dovetail recesses 4b in the under surface of the planks and extend transversely thereof. The said splines are shaped to constitute a part of the tongue as at 11 andare further formed to constitute a part of the groove as at 12 on the opposite sideof the plank.V It is further preferable to have the grain of the splines 5b running at right angles to the grain of the planks for best results as in the former described embodiments of the invention. It will therefore be seen that the aligned planks are .effectually reinforced against warping and expansion by virtue of the nature and extent of the spline 5b, particularly at their separation lines so that smooth and even iooring of a permanent nature is obtained; l

` A smooth, uniform and permanent flooring is obtained by the invention, and said flooring is amply reinforced at the points of least resistance to said outside iniuences and stresses, namely at the juncture or interlocked meeting lines of the blocks.

What is claimed is 1. A flooring element having a tongue and groove respectively on opposite edges thereof, a recess formed in one surfaceof said element. andextending from said tongue to said groove, and a spline secured in said recess, the outer surface of said spline being substantially coincident with the outer surface of said iiooring element, and the inner part of said splinel at one end forming a part of said tongue,and at its other end forming a part of the inner and bottom walls of said groove.

2. A fabricated flooring block having a tongue and groove respectively on opposite sides thereof and composed of a plurality of boards closely abutting one another and se. cured together in side by side relation, a recess formed in one surface of said block and extending from edge to edge thereof transversely of said boards, and a spline secured in said recess, the outer surface of said spline being substantially coincident with the corresponding surface of said block and the 'inner part of said spline extending vertically and horizontally into and constitutin at one end a part of the tongue and at its ot er end forming a part of the inner and bottom walls of the groove of said block.

3. In a flooring, the combination of a plurality of iooring blocks interlocked together part of said tongue, and at its other end forming a part of the inner and bottom walls vof said groove, whereby each of said interlocked iooring blocks is vreinforced against warping strains from edge to edge thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix m si JOSEPH E. LXR

ature. INS.

,y sa by tongue and groove connections, each block 

